Breath of Fire: Of Thieves and Men
by The Mad Mad Reviewer
Summary: I can safely say this has nothing to do with Steinbeck. It has a lot to do with a thief, mugger, and highwayman named Ryu, though. There's also a girl named Nina. Expect Actual Knights and dragons later. Rated T for logical violence and occasional swears.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own stuff. Capcom does. Blame it all on them.

Chapter 1

_Walking walking walking. Always with the walking._

Ryu stopped on the road and stared for a few minutes. He brushed a few blue strands of hair from his eyes, and blinked.

_Horses._ _Real. Fucking. Horses._

Ryu glanced at the rest of the scene. Abandoned cottage on the side of the road. Ryu had used it more than once, that was why it was abandoned. The door was open, and nobody was coming up or down the road.

It'd be easy to steal the horses. But they were horses. They'd been under good care at some point, but clearly not within the last two or three days.

Ryu's mind automatically invoked Rule #1 of Piracy and General Theivery: The bigger the theft, the more you need to know. Ryu walked up to the door, and opened it. Two men in Wyndian armor were tearing up the place.

"Shit."

The men turned, a little slow on the draw. There was a pause. Ryu looked at the pair of them, as they looked at him. He was already reaching for the knives instead of the sword when he started seeing details.

The armor was to ornate for proper Wyndian knights. Solid gold helmet crests, with the ornate sparkle of jewelry instead of just a patterning of gold leaf. The Wyndian crest was forged into the armor in solid silver instead of just painted on. There were no eccentricities about the armor, the two suits had only been fitted to the men. They didn't wear the armor as if a second skin.

_Ceremonial Gaurds. This is gonna be easy._

Ryu smiled as he pulled out the knives. The Gaurds looked at each other, then at Ryu as they drew their own swords, taking picture perfect forms straight for the training halls. To anyone else, they would have been frightening. To Ryu, they were a pair of idiots who had never seen combat beyond sparing with wooden swords.

Ryu edged towards the one on the left.

Ryu had put down the wooden sword and picked up a real one when he was seven. He managed to kill someone dressed exactly like this pair that same day.

The guard swung his sword, and Ryu blocked with his left while putting his right in the guard's throat.

Ryu knew exactly how to win because the damn fool was using a sword. The ceilings were to low for overhand, he had to swing sideways. The idiot couldn't even get the swing right. He didn't move into the blow. If he had done that, at least, Ryu would have had to block with both hands. There wasn't any force behind the blow, especially when taking it closer to the hilt rather than at the tip. Once inside the man's swing, Ryu just had to get past the armor: the throat.

Ryu kicked the guard in the chest while slipping two fingers over the cross of the knife. There was a squelch as the knife came out, and the guard tried to gurgle as he fell over.

The guard was dead. The other had merely moved to look at Ryu, not actually moved forward. The Ceremonial Guard were a highly trained, highly disciplined bunch. Couldn't fight there way out of a paper bag, though. To worried about discipline and honor to actually learn how to fight. Ryu felt no pity, only disgust.

This one actually moved to make his attack: a lunge. Ryu side-stepped, and put his left into the man's elbow, then stabbed into the left-armpit.

Still, taking down an armored target took skill. And Ryu had taken a gambit. He wasn't if the man had any under-armor. Given his compatriot didn't protect his neck, he assumed no, and he got lucky. He hit only cotton and flesh.

The man stumbled forward, Ryu's knife still in his armpit. The elbow wound had only been a slash, breaking the skin, drawing blood. Ryu hadn't gotten lucky there, he hadn't even reached sinew. The guard only grunted as he hefted the sword with one hand. He could barely hold the thing up.

"Pathetic."

Ryu lunged forward, shoving the sword out of his way and ramming the guard, bowling him over. There was another grunt as he landed on his bad shoulder.

The man couldn't even get up one-handed. He was trying to pick himself up with both hands while Ryu grabbed his compatriot's sword and slammed it into the back of his neck, between the helmet and the top of the back plate.

Why were they here, though? Ceremonial Guard didn't leave a manor for any small reason, special "tax collecting" sessions aside. He thought a moment. The cottage had three rooms. The first time he hide out here, he knew better, and found the best hiding spot he could on short order. Then he thought about how he had gotten up there, and thought better of searching up there... yet. He walked into the back room with a slightly-less-than-casual step, putting the heel of his boot down first to get that nice thud on the floor boards. The backroom was a bedroom. Only people who could afford guards used it, and generally they had enough money to plan their route so that they reached a town before nightfall. It's not safe in these parts after the sun goes down, afterall.

Ryu snickered at that.

Then he heard the creak. It was from him, he had stopped. Infact, he knew precisely which board had made that creake. Laden knew he had spent enough time up there to figure out which boards did and didn't. Whoever it was, they were lighter than he was and didn't know which ones did and didn't make a sound. Ryu made another few steps, away from the door, acting as though he didn't hear anything. If this person was running from the guard, they were probably just as stupid as them.

A second creak: they were almost coming out of the hiding spot. They must have rushed into it once they found it, that was one of the more obvious ones. Ryu took care when sneaking to the door, and then he listened. He just heard the thud of the trap door as the person put it down. He waited a good ten-seconds before he walked out into the front room to see them trying to drop themselves onto the the table in the corner. They were facing the corner so that they could and catch the window sill with their feet, but... she, definately a she from the legs, was entirely to short. Ryu wondered whether he should mention that her skirt was caught in the rafters.

"Need some help?"

She dropped with a thud onto the table, and turned around, holding a kitchen knife out infront of her. Her clothing wasn't the best, but Ryu suspected that was from running through the woods, especially with the long skirt. Her hair was a little tusseled, but the golden blonde still showed through, and her sky-blue eyes were wide with both surprise and fear.

Ryu didn't bother with drawing the knife. He held back at stabbing women, even if they tried to stab him first.

"Hey, don't worry. I'm not gonna try anything. My name's Ryu."

She still held the knife infront of her. "Nina. My name's Nina."

...To be continued. And stuff. Maybe. If/When I feel like it. Lord knows I've aborted writing stuff before.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Breath of Fire. Capcom does.

Chapter 2

"Not to sound... suspicious or anything, but where did you find this?"

"This" was a creaky, weather beaten cart.

"Behind the house. I'm surprised nobody else had stolen it."

"And the reigns?"

"Guards had them."

Nina looked at the lumps in the back of the cart.

"And those?"

"I can sell them."

"It's armor for Wyndian Ceremonial Guard! Who's going to buy that!"

"Anybody who knows what it is and doesn't care where it came from. There was a reason I wiped off the blood before it dried, you know."

Nina was silent once more.

"I mean, sure, the suits are both pieces frosted shit-"

"WHAT?"

"Frosted-"

"No no no no no, don't say it."

"Does the little lady have virgin ears?"

Nina glared at Ryu.

"Don't worry, I can be nice. As I was saying, the suits are both piles of shiny junk, but any collector would be willing to pay at least a few thousand zenny for them."

"You killed two men!"

"Yeah. So?"

"But- But-"

"And why were they after you, anyways?"

She was silent.

"Anyways, it's not like I can use the stuff. I've never been one for armor, even the light crap back there. I mean, those two idiots weren't even wearing linings and they had trouble moving."

"Linings?"

"It's probably not the right term for it, but yeah. Basically, those suits are imitation plate mail. All of the protection on the major parts, but no protection against anyone who knows what they're doing. A real Wyndian knight wears a full suit of chain mail underneath the plate armor and... speak of the devil."

"Hm?"

"Up ahead."

Nina looked. There stood what at first glance she could have only assumed to be a golem of steel and iron. No human could have been as large as that man. As they approached, he only become larger, an inarguable giant of a man.

"Hello!" called Ryu.

"Hello!" bellowed back the knight. The voice was deep and heavy. He didn't carry a sword, either. The knight pulled off his helm and hung it from what was his weapon: a warhammer. Ryu pulled back on the reigns as they reached the knight, he towered over the pair of them, even just standing on the ground. His own beast of burden, a behemoth as large as the man himself, rested on the side of the road. Nina was quite sure what to make of either the creature or the man, let alone the situation she had gotten herself into. No, that wasn't quite right.

"So, err... how are we-"

"Don't worry about it, it's all going to be fine."

"I take the young lady's worried a bit?"

"That she is, sir knight. My name's Ryu. And you?"

"Vargas."

Ryu nodded. This was a good sign. He wasn't full of himself.

"And where are you headed, Ryu?"

"Into town to sell some wears I recently acquired," replied Ryu with a smile.

The knight looked a moment, and raised an eyebrow. "Ho, now. I can tell there's a story to this one."

"Not much of one. There were a pair of brigands masquerading as Wyndian Royal Knights. They were ransacking the old cottage about two hours from here."

"Ransacking? That place? What for?"

"Well, they were looking for this fine young lady right here. Mind you, I didn't know that at the time. I was merely stopping to mention they shouldn't leave their horses just out on the road, unaccounted for."

"Oh, really."

"Honest, sir knight. Well, they didn't take to kindly to my advice, and I had to defend myself."

"You killed two people in armor?"

"Wasn't much for armor, if you ask me. Come take a look." Ryu turned around, and pulled the cloth from the two suits of armor. Vargas stepped to the side of the wagon, and looked in. "I mean, just look at this stuff. It's barely covering much of anything, and take a heft of it. This can't be actual iron, let alone steel."

Vargas looked at it for a moment. This was the moment of truth. He shook his head.

"I don't believe this," he said.

Ryu couldn't take a Wyndian Knight. Frankly, he didn't want to either. The Knights looked after their own. They'd tear the forest apart to find him, and then they'd tear him apart. And this Vargas... Ryu had heard that name before.

"How could they honestly expect anybody to fall for this crap?"

"That's what I said." Ryu didn't physically breath the sigh of relief. This was good practice, he suspected, for both himself and this Vargas.

"So what are you planning on doing with it?"

"Well... I figured since Loki was stupid enough to come back into Wyndia, I figured I could pass these off as the real thing to him."

"Loki's back in town?"

Ryu nodded.

"Well now... It might take a few hours to get together a proper group to deal with him... Being caught with armor of the Ceremonial Guard... that's a capital offense. A real black eye for it to be found in the hands of a petty criminal. You have to wonder where the Guard's horses went to, though. Horses aren't things that just fall out of the sky, you know."

"That is a good question. You know, I might be willing to donate this fine pair. They need a good brushing, but they look to be in fine health. Honestly, I doubt I'd be able to properly take care of them."

Vargas looked at the horses.

"Hmm... this is true. The health bit, that is. You're a capable man, I'd think you'd be able to take care of them. I'd also think the young lady might want to ride rather than walk. It might be a good idea to hang on to them, even. There might be more of those imposters about, and we knights aren't everywhere."

"This is true." Ryu thought a moment, digesting this piece of information. "This is very true. Except, I'm sorry to admit, I don't know how to ride."

At this, Vargas laughed.

He walked to his own beast of burden, mounting it in a single smooth motion. Ryu felt his worries as to who this Vargas was confirmed as the creature walked to alongside the horses.

"Come, you might need an escort back to town.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own squat, ya know. Capcom does. I do this for fun, not profit.

Notes: Somebody reviewed this, which surprised me. Guess I could continue it...

--

It was nightfall now. Vargas and Ryu sat around a fire, Nina asleep near Vargas's behemoth. The creature had been surprised and confused by this for a moment, but took the act in stride, and had fallen asleep itself. Vargas had taken off his mail, wearing only the layer of chainmail and padding underneath it.

"You know why she's being chased, don't you," said Ryu.

Vargas was quiet a time, now looking at Nina. The lines of age on his face, were deeper on his face, evident of the passage of time. He frowned.

"It's not my place to say."

"That's a lie, and we both know it. What's going on? Those guards don't set foot outside the castle unless it's something to do with what goes on in those walls. You didn't give us a free pass for just any reason."

"And do you want me to turn you both in?"

Ryu was silent, glaring at Vargas. He had never turned his gaze away from Nina.

"You won't."

Vargas glared at Ryu, looking at him, through him.

"You haven't yet. You know what could happen if you're found out, but you don't care. That girl is more important, isn't she?"

"You don't know what you're getting into, boy."

"You're right. I don't. But now I'm in it, aren't I? I'm up to my eyeballs in it, and I have no idea what it is."

"It's a royal matter."

"I gathered that. They only do tax collection and parade around town."

"Did you look on the inside of their armor when you took it off?" asked Vargas.

"Not really. I just took it off and cleaned off the plates."

"Go and look," said Vargas, staring into the fire.

Ryu stood, walked to the cart, grabbing a breast plate and bringing it back to the fire. He looked to the inside of it.

"The hell?" Intricately carved and painted into the inside were symbols and runes. Ryu flinched away from it, blinking his eyes. He looked again, squinting his eyes like he was staring into the sun. "The hell are these?"

"A fine question. Only five guards have been killed while wearing that armor. Two were said to be training accidents. Two are in that cart."

"And the fifth was ten years ago," Ryu replied.

"Yes. They are idiots and incompetents, but they have powerful magics backing them. Powerful wards to prevent injury and death, and to fill their opponents with fear." Vargas held his tongue on what else those runes did.

"I'm not afraid of them."

"You should, if only for their relentlessness. They may be idiots, but they do not forget, nor do they forgive."

"Nor do I. Now what is this royal matter?"

There was a quiet murmer, and both looked towards Nina, watching her turn over. Ryu looked back to Vargas, who still stared at Nina.

"It has to do with her parents. Who they are, or who they were."

"She's part of the royal family."

Vargas nodded. "Her mother was princess Alexandra. Nina was born before her marriage, thus she's next in succession. If Nina were to die, then Alexandra's husband, Cornibath, would be king."

"He's the head of the guard."

"Indeed he is. His ascension would be the end of the royal family, and be the death knell of Wyndia."

"You're a knight, can't you protect her?"

"I will protect her with all my life. The Wyndian army, however, are not immune to those runes of protection."

"You think I am?"

"Think? No. I am a knight. I do not think. I know. You are immune. I can face against a thousand of those wretches, knowing that someone else is protecting her. If I have to, I will crush Cornibath myself. But the girl needs protection."

"Protect the crown princess of Wyndia. I suppose there's no pay in advance for this, huh?"

"No."


	4. Chapter 4

The crone looked to the weasel, it's entrails pulled out across the table, and frowned. This was the third weasel. The other two were in the fire, and she would consult their bones to be certain.

Lord Cornibath was a small and patient man, and he had watched the ancient witch cut apart all three rodents, watched her pick over their intestines, examine their hearts and lungs, watch the blood pool in the grains of wood of the table, then toss all the flesh aside into the fire.

The room stank, now, of cooked weasel flesh. Weasels are not good smelling creatures to begin with.

But Cornibath stood and waited in silence as the woman worked.

She tossed aside the third into the fire, and there she watched the flames consume the flesh, and she watched the fire die.

With practice, she picked the bones from the fire, seperating each set into it's own pile. She lifted each pile, and tossed them onto the table. She picked over each set, staring at the charred bones, picking through the blackened remains, setting aside each skull, each vertebrae, each rib, placing the skeletons back together again.

Cornibath could hear each bone being placed on the wooden table. He could, for the second time in his life, hear the crone's ragged breath. And he knew it to be fear.

She stepped back from the table, staring down at the three skeletons. She steadied herself on it, looking down at the three skeletons, before picking the blackened skulls of each.

She showed them to Cornibath.

He looked, and he understood. Looking at each blackened skull, charred skin and flesh still held to the bone, flaking off as she handed them to him with the utmost care. He could see her worries, her fear. Six eyes stared back at him, cool and calm and wrong, all the same, untouched by the flame, but none the less changed. He stared at each set in turn, and he could feel himself drawn into the color of a winter sky, the crisp blue chilling his body, even as he felt the warmth of the charred bones flow into his hands.

"Eyes of the Dragon," the crone said. "The girl is alive... and protected."

He could feel her fear, he could almost taste it. Last time, he could not sense it as easily, but this time... or was she even more afraid?

"Protected by what?"

"She is shielded by the Dragon God. What protects her... I dare not say."

--

It does not stand. It towers. The plates of its back shift and creak as it takes its full height, but it does not stand. There's a hiss, steam or hate being released from a maw, a dozen fangs visible from the slim crack.

Upon its faces are masks of hate and rage, the anger of lost loved ones, the anger of arrogance, the anger of a thousand lives being extinguished. The anger of caged beast, or a caged man. In some cases its both.

From one of its heads bellows a litany of fire and damnation, an aria of hate and vengeance. Anther cried a chant of fear and sadness. Another whispered a child's lullaby. Another whispered obscenities and curses, never repeating itself. And there were still others, dozens upon dozens, each vying for Ryu's attention.

_This is what you will soon face, my child._

Arms and legs and tails, scaled, furred, and skinned, all reached for him, falling short. Cries of pain and terror, help and need, assaulted his ears.

_This is what you must save._

He spread his wings, trying to fly away, to escape, but it spread its own wings, and it had so many more than he.

_Save it, or become one with it._

It was then that he heard it, a voice he recognized. He dared not look back.

_Save them and yourself; damn them and yourself. Such is your choice._

It was her voice, urging him on. he could hear it, changed as it was, through the crowd. Telling him to run, telling him to hide, saying those last words to him.

He would not run. He would not hide. He turned, and with a roar, he turned and flew back at the beast.

--

The sun crept over the horizon as Ryu widdled away at a stick, the fire dead for several hours.

"You awake yet?" he asked the sleeping form of Vargas.

"And what if we needed the fire?" he asked without moving.

"Then we would have been dead anyways. It attracts attention in these parts." Vargas sat up, pulling off his chainmail in a single motion. "We don't want any at all," added Ryu. He looked to the princess. "We're still headed for town. Even if they're looking for her, I need the money from selling the armor. We need supplies if we're heading out into the world."

"Fine. It will provide a distraction to Cornibath and let your trail go cold."

"She'll need to change her clothes, too. Something plain, that'll blend in. Maybe rain gear to cover her hair?" thought Ryu, trailing off.

Vargas reached reached to his belt, taking his coin purse and handed Ryu some of its contents.

"It might not be a bad idea to teach her to fight," said Vargas.

"And if she thinks she can do something she can't?"

"Her family has a history of that. And they didn't fail."


End file.
